Flying w/3 year old - carseat, birth cert, etc.?

[KalamityJane]

I apologize for not reading all the answers, but I wanted to answer this one question.

Take the car seat with you as carry on and then check it at the end of the boarding ramp just like with a stroller.

That's still checking it. If you want to check a car seat, it should be in a box that fits it, preferably with padding but then the box will take any damage and not the seat.

 

[GoBears 1980]

That's still checking it. If you want to check a car seat, it should be in a box that fits it, preferably with padding but then the box will take any damage and not the seat.

Never ever had a car seat, stroller or anything else damaged in a gate check. I can't say what they do differently or if the gate check luggage goes into a separate section, but I've never had a problem.

 

[KalamityJane]

Never ever had a car seat, stroller or anything else damaged in a gate check. I can't say what they do differently or if the gate check luggage goes into a separate section, but I've never had a problem.

It's more that it gives it an unknown history, it can also have microfractures and/or stress marks from luggage being thrown onto it or it being thrown that would cause it to fail in an accident. My friend's car seats were involved in a roll over crash and they looked completely fine but should not be used again, obviously. Car seats take on a crazy amount of force (a 30 lb kid in a 30mph accident is somewhere around 900 lbs of force against the straps and plastic - I had no idea it was that much but it made sense that a microfracture could cause a failure after I heard that).

I've had them break a stroller I've gate checked before too.

 

[thatgrljme]

It's more that it gives it an unknown history, it can also have microfractures and/or stress marks from luggage being thrown onto it or it being thrown that would cause it to fail in an accident. My friend's car seats were involved in a roll over crash and they looked completely fine but should not be used again, obviously. Car seats take on a crazy amount of force (a 30 lb kid in a 30mph accident is somewhere around 900 lbs of force against the straps and plastic - I had no idea it was that much but it made sense that a microfracture could cause a failure after I heard that).

I've had them break a stroller I've gate checked before too.

^^^ THIS!

Just because you're checking it closer to the luggage loading ramp, doesn't mean it's any safer than checking it at the counter. They still toss them around like they are indestructible.

You might not see damage, but it could have a hairline crack in it and then the seat becomes not safe and you're left a an airport with no seat, and renting one from a car company is just as bad. If you have to buy your child a seat on the plane might as well bring the carseat on the plane. The only thing you cannot use on the plane is a booster seat that uses a seat belt.

 

[GoBears 1980]

It's more that it gives it an unknown history, it can also have microfractures and/or stress marks from luggage being thrown onto it or it being thrown that would cause it to fail in an accident. My friend's car seats were involved in a roll over crash and they looked completely fine but should not be used again, obviously. Car seats take on a crazy amount of force (a 30 lb kid in a 30mph accident is somewhere around 900 lbs of force against the straps and plastic - I had no idea it was that much but it made sense that a microfracture could cause a failure after I heard that).

Uhhhh..... if I follow the logic of this..... a careless baggage handler can do damage to a car seat that is expected to save my toddler in a crash where the crash energy is 1,000 times the force any baggage handler could bring to bear on it?

If the car seat is so fragile that it could be damaged sufficiently to be unsafe by placing it in the forward cargo hold of a commercial jet I'd find a new car seat.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Is there any reason why we would need to bring a birth certificate for our 3 year old, for the flight? Last time we flew he was 1 and we didn't purchase him his own seat (birth cert was required). This time, he obviously has his own seat. Do we need to have "ID" for him?

Secondly, I keep going back and forth on whether we will bring his carseat on flight with us or not. It's a short flight - from PDX (about 2.5 hrs). I've been thinking that I AM going to take it, because it will be easier to keep him confined to his seat. (3 year old boy, he's usually all over the place) When I mentioned it to my friend (not with kids), who flies a lot, she thought I was crazy. She said she never sees carseats on the plane. So for those who fly with little ones, who need a carseat when in CA, do you bring it on flight, do you check it, or do you drop it off at the plane entrance w/the stroller? (We will need a carseat in California so not taking it isn't an option.)

I haven't read the responses yet so sorry if I repeat things.

Our son is 16 months and we DID buy him a seat. We are flying Southwest Airlines and we were told we need to bring a copy of his birth certificate. So you may want to contact your airline to find out what they need.

I do NOT recommend checking or gate checking a car seat. They get throw around so much. Not safe. We will be using a car seat on the plane as well. Not only will it be more comfortable, but it's safer for the child in the case of turbulence or an emergency landing. We actually purchased a cheap/light car seat just for flying and our rental car. It's called a Cosco Scenera and seems to be commonly used on airplanes.

 

[ClaraOswald]

for a carseat on a plane, another question you need to ask yourself is how many carryons are you taking? I have seen several parent/small child tag teams getting on and off a plane with a backpack, a rollerboard and a carseat, trying to navigate the isle to get to their seats. it isn't pretty trying to make sure your little one is listening to you when you say walk to the row, having a rollerboard behind, and the car seat in front with a backpack on.

As a FF with my children (now 5 and 11) I never did the car seat on the plane, and the past 2 years I didn't take one at all. most rental agencies, in the US or abroad, can rent you one for a minimal cost, and considerable less hassle.

Same with strollers. I stopped taking the fancy one where the car seat fits in it, and got a simple umbrella stroller I could throw away at the end of the trip, just because the logistics of luggage, tired kids, tired momma and all of our items was just to much to deal with. small and simple for me.

We will have the following....

2 backpacks (one for me, one for my husband)
1 smaller wheeled carry-on
1 light weight car seat (which will be teethered to the top of the wheeled carry-on. Wheeled onto the plane by my husband.)
1 16 month old (who will be carried onto the plane by me.)
1 small stroller (which will be gate checked.)

It's going to be a lot more junk than we are used to but I think it should be okay. My husband is going to board before me to get the wheeled carry-on in the bin and the car seat installed. And he will probably wait and take it out after my son and I have left the plane.

As far as renting a car seat...it's not something I would ever do. #1 I am too much of a germaphobe. #2 Not knowing the history of a car seat = bad news.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I haven't read the responses yet so sorry if I repeat things.

Our son is 16 months and we DID buy him a seat. We are flying Southwest Airlines and we were told we need to bring a copy of his birth certificate. So you may want to contact your airline to find out what they need.

......

Who told you this? They may have misunderstood and thought you were flying with a lap baby. Unless you bought an age specific fare (very unlikely), a ticketed child under age 18 flying domestically needs no id of any kind.

 

[talentedmummy]

In regards to bringing a birth certificate for any aged child, it just makes sense to travel with some form of id. The airline or security may ask for it, better safe than sorry.

 

[thatgrljme]

I travel with a copy of my sons birth certificate, but I've only been asked for it once and once the lady realized I had bought a ticket for him she handed it right back to me.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Who told you this? They may have misunderstood and thought you were flying with a lap baby. Unless you bought an age specific fare (very unlikely), a ticketed child under age 18 flying domestically needs no id of any kind.

Could be. I emailed Southwest and told them we have an adult fare for our 16 month old son and I asked if I needed any form of identification for him at the airport. They wrote back and said that I needed to bring his birth certificate and that I copy of it would be fine.

In regards to bringing a birth certificate for any aged child, it just makes sense to travel with some form of id. The airline or security may ask for it, better safe than sorry.

That's what we are going to do. It doesn't hurt to have it.

 

[Peace.love.mickey]

You for sure do NOT need a BC if you have a seat... My 4 YO daughter needed one before she turned 2 when she was a lap child, but since I've never been asked. We have probably flown 10 times since on a lot of different airlines.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Eh. Maybe not. But I am going to bring it anyway. I'd rather not need it and have it than need it and not have it. We don't live near the airport so we'd be in a lot of trouble if we got there and needed it.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Could be. I emailed Southwest and told them we have an adult fare for our 16 month old son and I asked if I needed any form of identification for him at the airport. They wrote back and said that I needed to bring his birth certificate and that I copy of it would be fine.



That's what we are going to do. It doesn't hurt to have it.

They are wrong, but nothing unusual about a customer service rep not knowing what he or she is talking about. Of course you can bring a birth certificate; it's just unnecessary.

 

[bumbershoot]

They are wrong, but nothing unusual about a customer service rep not knowing what he or she is talking about. Of course you can bring a birth certificate; it's just unnecessary.

So true.

Definitely not necessary; no one will need to see it at the airport or on the plane if you bought a normal fare (not an infant fare or age-based fare) for the child. And Disney CMs are really good about figuring out how old kids are, so while it might feel good that you have proof, you will not need it.

 

[bcla]

In regards to bringing a birth certificate for any aged child, it just makes sense to travel with some form of id. The airline or security may ask for it, better safe than sorry.

I still don't get why a birth certificate is an acceptable form of ID. The TSA list of acceptable ID doesn't include birth certificates, and in any case they don't require ID for anyone under 18. The only need might be for a lap infant or child fare, and then it's not really "identification" per se but age verification for the airline.

We can see what has happened where birth certificates have been fraudulently used in Little League Baseball. A team in the Phillipines was disqualified when it was found out that most of the team had been using the birth certificates of younger relatives. And when a birth certificate is lost or stolen, the possibility of identy theft is real, especially if it's a certified copy.

We probably don't need it, but we have real photo ID for our kid. It's not that hard to obtain and if lost at least there's a photo that would need to be matched. We've got a passport, passport card, and California ID. I know they're rarely needed, but those are identification and not a piece of paper that says that a person was born on a specific date.

 

[ClaraOswald]

So true.

Definitely not necessary; no one will need to see it at the airport or on the plane if you bought a normal fare (not an infant fare or age-based fare) for the child. And Disney CMs are really good about figuring out how old kids are, so while it might feel good that you have proof, you will not need it.

Well, our kid is only 16 months so I don't think anyone is going to think he's 3. Ha!

 

[ClaraOswald]

They are wrong, but nothing unusual about a customer service rep not knowing what he or she is talking about. Of course you can bring a birth certificate; it's just unnecessary.

Unnecessary, probably. But better safe than sorry. It takes no effort to put a piece of paper in my bag.

 

[thatgrljme]

Unnecessary, probably. But better safe than sorry. It takes no effort to put a piece of paper in my bag.

That and the fact that he COULD be a lap child they might ask and then realize you've bought him a ticket. I always err on the side of better safe than sorry myself.

 

[Peace.love.mickey]

You HAVE to have it for a lap child no matter the age. I first flew when she was 2 1/2 months and they required it. I've actually seen them turn someone away until they got it. Another time a lady was on the phone with kaiser....